Hargaysa: Mugger muggs the Gurti , another extension?

[General Duke]

Somalia: Somaliland MPs debate Riyale's term-extension

26 Mar 26, 2009 - 10:46:29 AM

 

HARGEISA, Somalia Mar 26 (Garowe Online) - The upper house of parliament in Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland has opened up debate on President Dahir Riyale's request for a two-month term extension to rule the region until the May 31 presidential election, Radio Garowe reports.

 

Wednesday's extraordinary session of the House of Guurti was attended by 62 MPs, who read a motion presented by the Riyale administration and the Somaliland election commission.

 

"The only constitutional authority that can extend the President's term is the House of Guurti so I urge you lawmakers to genuinely consider the constitution," said Mr. Saleban "Gal" Mohamud, the Guurti chairman.

 

 

Dahir Riyale, Somaliland leader

He expressed anger with the presence of additional police units, who closed-off streets near the Somaliland parliament and prevented journalists and civilians from entering the parliament building.

 

Mr. Saleban Gal eventually ordered the police to leave the parliament compound and remain outside the building, as MPs inside debated the most politically sensitive motion the region has seen since unilaterally declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.

 

According to parliament sources, Guurti MPs were deeply divided over the term-extension motion, with some lawmakers supporting the term-extension for Riyale's government to administer Somaliland until May 31.

 

But other MPs opposed the move, warning against a possible confrontation between government and opposition supporters.

 

The debate is scheduled to continue on Saturday, parliament officials said.

 

President Riyale has previously refused to step down on April 6, when a term extension his government received from the House of Guurti in 2008 expires.

 

He has vowed that he will step down "only to an elected president," clearly rejecting opposition leader Ahmed Silanyo's demand that the House of Guurti appoint a caretaker government to rule Somaliland until the May 31 presidential election.

 

The election delay has caused a political uproar in Somaliland, with some reports saying the opposition is preparing for mass protests across Somaliland on March 29, when the election was supposed to be held.

 

Somaliland, located in northwest Somalia, has not been recognized internationally but the separatist republic runs its own affairs. Western powers have donated some US$16 million to the voter-registration process, which has yet to be completed.

 

Source: Garowe Online

[General Duke]

Fadhigii Golaha Guurtida Iyo Dareeno Xasaasi Ah Oo Ka Dhashay Ciidamo Xoogan Oo La Soo Dhoobay Xarunta Golaha Baarlamaanka

March 25th, 2009

 

Hargaysa (Somaliland.org)- Fadhigii golaha guurtid Somaliland ee maanta ayaa loo qaybiyay mudanayaasha qoraalkii komishanku ay muddeeyeen waqtiga doorashada Madaxtooyada ee ay uga guureen 29-ka March, kaas oo ah 31-ka bisha May ee sannadkan 2009.

 

Golaha Guurtida oo fadhigii saaka ay ka muuqatay xasaasiyad xoog leh ayaa markii mudanayaasha loo qaybiyay qoraalada waxa uu guddoomiyaha goluhu ku wargeliyay in sida xeer hoosaadkoodu dhigayo ay soo akhriyaan muddo 24 saacadood ah, kadibna maalinta sabtida ah la bilaabo dooda qoraalka Komishanka iyo Madaxwayne Riyaale uu soo saaray oo golaha guurtida uu ugu sheegay in maadaamada mudada komishanku soo saaray ay ka dambayso muddada xilka Madaxwaynaha oo ah 06 April 2009, in ay u kordhiyaan oo waafajiyaan muddada Komishanku cayimay.

 

Qoraaladan loo qaybiyay maanta mudanayaasha golaha guurtida ayaa xubnaha goluhu ku kala aragti duwanyihiin, iyada oo xildhibaanada golaha intooda badani ay qabaan in qodobka muddo kordhinta u fasaxaya golaha guurtida aanu wakhtigan fursad u siinayn in goluhu ay kordhiyaan, maadaama dalka aanay dagaalo ka jirin oo ah sababta kaliya ee golaha guurtida u fasaxaya muddo kordhin, sidaa saraadeed ay xildhibaanadu is hortaagaan muddo kordhinta Madaxwayne Riyaale, si qaranku u yeesho wada tashi guud oo doorashada lagu gaadho, halka ay xildhibaanada kale ay ku doodayaan goluhu horeba wuu u kordhiyee iminkana ha la kordhiyo.

 

Maalinta sabtida ah ayaa la filayaa in goluhu bilaabi dooni dooda arrintan, kadibna mudanayaasha goluhu ay u qaadaan cod ku ansaxaya hal dheeri in mudada loo kordhiyo Madaxwayne Riyaale iyo in ay is hortaagaan.

 

Dhinaca kale guddoomiyaha Golaha Guurtidu waxa uu eedayn xoogleh u jeediyay ciddii soo dirtay Ciidamo xoog leh oo saaka la soo hordhoobay Xarunta Golaha Baarlamanka, kuwaasi oo is hortaagay in Saxaafadda iyo dadkii doonayay inay fadhigaas Guurtida dhagaystaan.

Hase ahaatee, Guddoomiyaha Golaha Guurtida ayaa markii dambe Ciidamadaasi dibada ugu soo baxay oo amar ku siiyay inay ka baxaan gudaha Dayrka Baarlamaanka. Sidoo kale Guddoomiyaha Golaha Wakiilada Cabdiraxmaan Maxamed Cabdillaahi (Cirro), ayaa isaguna cambaareeyay Ciidamada la soo dhoobay Baarlamaanka, isaga oo sheegay inaan loo baahnayn.

Ciidamadan laga soo buux-dhaafiyay Xarunta Baarlamaanka ayaa la sheegay in amarka lagu keenay halkaasi uu bixiyay Xoghayahaa guud ee Guurtida Cabdillaaahi Ibraahin Habane (Cabdillaahi-dheere) , kaasoo isagu ka Ciidamada ka dalbaday Madaxda sare ee Booliska. Xoghayahan oo muddooyinkii dambe lahaa awood ka badan tiisa, ayaa haatan u muuqda mid culays lagu saaray inuu ku ekaado kaliya shaqada Xoghaynimo ee uu Golaha u hayo.

 

Axmed Maxamed Saleebaan (Dhugfe)

E-mail: afqarshe114@hotmail. com

Somaliland.org, Hargaysa.

[General Duke]

Guurti Move Jeopardizes Return To Democracy In Somaliland

26 March 2009 | News

 

Some members of the unelected House of Elders, the Guurti, are proposing yet another extension for the unelected president of Somaliland.

 

The group whose number is fewer than a third of the 82-member body, has tabled a bill to extend Riyale’s presidency by another six months. If the chamber approves the bill, it will give Riyale grounds to justify his stay in power without being elected.

 

Given the significant opposition that he currently faces in the Guurti, the prospect of such a bill passing is low. However, the positions of the Guurti members are unpredictable. Members who are currently opposing the bill may suddenly switch sides without prior indication.

 

President Riyale run for office in 2003 winning a five-year term by a razor-thin margin of just 80 votes.

 

In April 2008, just weeks before the long awaited election was due to be held, the Guurti passed a bill that extended Riyale’s presidency for 1 year ending on April 6th of this year. Constitutional scholars agree that the current proposed bill, which is similar to the previous one, has no legal bases.

 

Majority of the constitutional experts also side with the opposition parties’ assertion that unilateral extensions of the president’s term by the Guurti is unconstitutional.

 

Of the three democratic elections that took place in Somaliland within the last six years, only the members of the Parliament still have time remaining to serve.

 

The president, his vice-president, the Guurti and the local councilors are all holding public offices despite their unelected status. The opposition parties cite this as the major factor stalling any progress on the democratic front as these individuals still continue to make day-to-day decisions that shape the future of the country.

[NGONGE]

The opposition are playing it well. They know that it's absurd to have a caretaker government for only two months. They know that Riyaale shall get his term extension but they also hope that this will plant the seeds of doubt in the voters' minds once the proper election gets underway. It's a win-win situation.

[General Duke]

^^^Yeah but what if you put enough doubt in the monds of the public and he wins again?

[NGONGE]

^^ He will not. He's on borrowed time as it is. They already gave him the nickname 'seat-warmer'.

 

ps

I am still a big fan.

[General Duke]

^^^A big fan of who? As for the seatwarmer he is becoming to powerful saxib. If there is no united front this can turn out bad.

[NGONGE]

^^ A big fan of his Excellency President Dahir Rayale Kahin Of course.

 

Nothing is going to turn out bad. He will happily step aside when he loses (which even he knows now that he will).

[General Duke]

^^^I like your optimism old boy and I hope he does step aside, peacefully and graciously its Mr Mugged Siilanyu's term.